Biological control is the introduction and/or establishment of natural enemies including parasites, predators and pathogens (fungi and bacteria) to suppress the population densities of plant-parasitic nematodes lower than their economic threshold level. Following are 24 nematophagous fungi and six pathogenic bacteria have a potential to use as biological control agents to control different kinds of plant-parasitic nematodes.
Read MoreBiological control of the peanut burrower bug, Pangaeus bilineatus /
The peanut burrower bugs are true bugs because they belong to an insect family Cydnidae in the order, Hemiptera. The peanut burrower bugs are scientifically known as Pangaeus bilineatus and considered as one of the major insects pests of peanuts in the peanut, Arachis hypogaea producing States in the U.S. (Lis et al. 2000) .
Read MoreAntibiotics from entomopathogenic bacteria Xenorhabdus cabanillasii /
Entomopathogenic Steinernema riobrave is a warm adapted nematode species that uses an intermediate foraging strategy that lie between the ambush “sit and wait” strategy and cruise strategy to find and infect its both the mobile/sedentary insects at the soil surface or immobile stages deep in the soil and after infection, it uses its symbiotic bacteria, Xenorhabdus cabanillasii (Tailliez et al., 2006) to kill insect hosts.
Read MoreSteinernema feltiae for Codling Moth Control in the October /
The codling moth, Cydia pomonella is one of the most damaging pets of apples, pears and walnuts. Adult moths are gray in color with dark brown band at the tip of wings. Larvae are white in color with dark brown head. Only larvae of codling moth cause damage to fruits and adults do not cause any damage to either apple or pear fruits or trees.
Read MoreSteinernema costaricense the beneficial Nematode found in Missouri /
The measurement of both the morphological and molecular characteristics showed that the newly isolated beneficial nematode from Missouri, USA is closely related to the entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema costaricense, which was originally isolated from Costa Rica in 2007 (Uribe-Lorio et al., 2007).
Read MoreSeven Beneficial Entomopathogenic Nematodes for Chive Gnat Control /
Seven beneficial entomopathogenic nematodes including Heterorhabditis bacteriophora, H. indica, H. megidis, Steinernema ceratophorum, S. feltiae, S. hebeiense and S. litorale have been tested against Chive gnat, Bradysia odoriphaga. This insect pest is one of the most damaging pests of Chinese chive, Allium tuberosum.
Read MoreTwo biological agents for the control of strawberry root weevils /
Strawberry root weevils [Otiorhynchus ovatus] are one of the most important insect pests of strawberry crop. Adults of strawberry root weevil feed on the edges of strawberry leaves [leaf notching] but this damage is not considered as economically important like the damage caused by their larval stages to strawberry roots [root pruning].
Read MoreSeven reasons to use beneficial nematodes as safer alternatives to pesticides /
Why beneficial nematodes are safer alternatives to pesticides- Nematodeinformation
To control insect pests in your organic garden, beneficial entomopathogenic nematodes are safer alternatives to chemical insecticides because.......
- Beneficial nematodes and their symbiotic bacterium have no detrimental effects on animals and plants.
- Both nematodes and their symbiotic bacteria do not cause any harm to the personnel involved in their production and application.
- Entomopathogenic nematode treated agriculture products are safe to handle and eat.
- Entomopathogenic nematodes and symbiotic bacteria do not have any pathogenic effects on humans or animals.
- When applied in the soil, entomopathogenic nematodes have also no negative effect on beneficial nematodes (bacteriovore, fungivore, omnivore and predatory) and other microbial communities.
- Entomopathogenic nematodes are also not harmful to the economically important beneficial insects such as honeybees.
- Finally, entomopathogenic nematodes are non-polluting and thus environmentally safe.
Storage temperature can influence beneficial nematode activity /
Several different species of white grubs including Anomala orientalis, Ataenius spretulus, Blitopertha orientalis, Cotinus nitida, Cyclocephala borealis, Cyclocephala pasadenae, Cyclocephala hirta, Exomala orientalis, Hoplia philanthus, Maladera castanea, Melolontha melolontha, Phyllophaga Spp. and Rhizotrogus majalis are major pests of turf grass.
Read MoreThree beneficial natural enemies for crane fly Tipula paludosa control /
Crane flies Tipula paludosa are one of important pests of turfgrass. Only larval stages (Fig. 1) of crane fly cause damage to turfgrass. Crane fly adults are harmless to plants (Fig. 2). Crane fly larvae mainly feed on turfgrass roots and crowns but some time they can also feed on the turfgrass foliage. The main symptom of crane fly damage that you will notice is the bare patches of dead turf in your lawn or golf courses.
Read MoreEntomopathogenic nematodes can even infect and kill citrus mealybugs /
Citrus mealybug Planococcus citri is a serious insect pest of many greenhouse plants as well as fruit crops in the field. There are different biological, chemical and cultural approaches available for the management of citrus mealybugs.
Read MoreSuppressive effects of beneficial nematodes on plant-parasitic nematodes /
Entomopathogenic nematodes including Steinernema rarum and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora can reduce over 53% reproduction of a plant-parasitic nematode called Nacobbus aberrans
Read MoreBeneficial nematodes for control of termite Reticulitermes flavipes /
Eastern Subterranean Termite, Reticulitermes flavipes are the most destructive and economically important pest of wood industry. Current research shows that the entomopathogenic nematodes also called beneficial nematodes have a potential to use as environmentally safe biological control agents against termites.
Read MoreBiological control of Fuller rose beetle with beneficial nematodes /
Fuller rose beetle, Asynonychus godmani- Nematode Information
Fuller rose beetle, Asynonychus godmani is one of the most economically important pests of roses and citrus. A laboratory study conducted by Morse and Lindegren (1996) showed that an entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema carpocapsae caused a maximum 67 and 83% mortality of three week old larvae and adults of the Fuller rose beetle, Asynonychus godmani with 500 and 150 nematode infective juveniles, respectively. Subsequent field study also showed that the application of nematodes significantly reduced the emergence of adult fuller rose beetles in the second year after nematode application. This suggests that the applied entomopathogenic nematodes were recycled and persisted in the field for two years.
Influence of entomopathogenic nematodes on reproduction of Rhipicephalus microplus /
Tick, Rhipicephalus microplus is one of most import insect pests of live stocks including cattle, buffalo, horses, donkeys, goats, sheep, deer, pigs and dogs. This tick is known for transmitting cattle fever, which is caused by the protozoal parasites including Babesia bigemina and Babesia bovis.
Read MoreA new subspecies of Photorhabdus luminescens /
Symbiotic bacteria, Photorhabdus luminescens subsp. sonorensis, Orozco, Hill & Stock, 2013
Based on phenotypic characteristics and sequences of the 16S rDNA, the symbiotic bacteria extracted from an entomopathogenic nematode, Heterorhabditis sonorensis has been identified as Photorhabdus luminescens subsp. sonorensis, Orozco, Hill & Stock, 2013 (Orozco et al., 2013).
Literature:
Stock, S.P., Rivera-Orduno, B. and Flores-Lara, Y. 2009. Heterorhabditis sonorensis n. sp (Nematoda: Heterorhabditidae), a natural pathogen of the seasonal cicada Diceroprocta ornea (Walker) (Homoptera: Cicadidae) in the Sonoran desert. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology 100: 175-184.
A new entomopathogenic Stienernematid nematode from Ethiopia /
Steinernema ethiopiense- Nematodeinformation
Using Galleria mellonella baiting technique (Bedding and Akhurst, 1975), an entomopthogenic nematode isolated from Ethiopia was identified as Stienernematid nematode. Based on both morphological and molecular characteristics, this entomopathogenic nematodes was considered as a new species and named as Steinernema ethiopiense (Tamiru et al., 2012).
For detail information on its morphological and molecular characteristics of this new species and its comparisons with other known species of Steinernematid nematodes read following literature.
Literature:
Bedding, R.A. and R.J. Akhurst. 1975. A simple technique for detection of insect parasitic rhabditid nematodes in soil. Nematologica. 21: 109-110.
A new entomopathogenic Stienernematid nematode from China /
Steinernema xinbinense- Nematodeinformation
Using Galleria mellonella baiting technique (Bedding and Akhurst, 1975), a new species of entomopthogenic nematode collected from Liaoning province of North China was identified as Stienernematid nematode and based on both morphological and molecular characteristics it was named as Steinernema xinbinense (Ma et al., 2012).
For detail information on the morphological and molecular characteristics of this new species read following literature.
Literature:
Bedding, R.A. and R.J. Akhurst. 1975. A simple technique for detection of insect parasitic rhabditid nematodes in soil. Nematologica. 21: 109-110.
A new entomopathogenic heterorhabditid nematode from South Africa /
Heterorhabditis noenieputensis
Based on both morphological and molecular characteristics, a new species of entomopthogenic nematode collected from a Citrus orchard was identified as Heterorhabditid nematode and named as Heterorhabditis noenieputensis. For detail information on its morphological and molecular characteristics and their comparisons with other closely related species of heterorhabditid nematodes read following literature.
Literature:
A new entomopathogenic Heterorhabdtid nematode from China /
Heterorhabditid Nematode: Heterorhabditis beicherriana
Based on both morphological and molecular characteristics an entomopathogenic nematode isolated from an orchard located near Beijing, China was considered as a new species Heterorhabditid nematode and named as Heterorhabditis beicherriana (Li et al., 2012). For more information on molecular technique read following literature.